We Loved These '80s Metal Albums as Teens. Do They Still Hold Up? (Rock Of Aging Episode 33)

Welcome to Episode 33 of Rock of Aging! For this episode, Dave and Erika revisit some of their favorite 80s metal albums from their teenage years. But almost 40 years later, do they still sound as great as we remember? Or are we letting nostalgia do some of the heavy lifting?

We each picked three albums we loved in the 80s, and we give them an honest analysis in 2026. Can we separate nostalgia from musical quality? I guess we'll find that out!

Here are the albums we chose. The only criteria was that the album needed to be released between 1985-1990.

AC/DC - The Razor's Edge

Britny Fox - Britny Fox

Europe - The Final Countdown

Great White - Once Bitten

Lita Ford - Lita

Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin

Please leave your thoughts in the comments!

Interview with SWEEPING PROMISES // Sub Pop, New Music & Live in Concert

I interviewed the band SWEEPING PROMISES ahead of their recent concert in Omaha. The show was the first night of the current leg of the band's tour in support of its newest album, You Say I Romanticize. It is the band's third album, and its first for Sub Pop Records.

The post-punk inspired duo from Lawrence, Kansas consists of Lira Mondal (bass/vocals) and Caufield Schnug (guitar/production). The music of Sweeping Promises could easily fit on both a 2026 playlist or a 1981 mix tape. It has a timeless, indie rock feel that should appeal to almost anyone watching this video.

Thanks for Lira and Caufiled for doing the interview, and thanks to ‪Sub Pop for their help, as well.

The Best, Worst, and Weirdest '80s Metal Album Covers

Do you remember when you went to the record store and would just get lost in the racks? You would study the images on the front cover, check out the band's logo, and in some cases, make your buying decision based (mostly) on that cover! In the 80s, there was no streaming, and record stores usually had no way for customers to preview an album before buying. A good album cover was everything!

For this episode, Erika and Dave are picking some of their favorite (and a few least favorite) 80s metal album covers. We divided them into six categories.

Do our favorites match yours? What are your favorite 80s metal album covers? Please leave them in the comments.

Failure Live 2026 Review // New Album Location Lost + Career Retrospective

Simply put, FAILURE is one of the best bands to emerge in the last 40 years. The band formed in 1990 in Los Angeles; and over the next seven years, established themselves as one of the most interesting, innovative, and unique rock bands in America.

Failure broke up in 1997, and the members went on to form other bands. The music of Failure continued to find an audience, and the band's influence could be felt throughout the rock world. The (almost) unthinkable happened when the band reformed in 2015 and released its first new album in nearly 20 years. 

This video touches on ALL of it, including an incredible show in Omaha at The Waiting Room on October 8, 2026.

MORE "LOST" ALBUMS OF THE 90s // The Best 90s Albums Nobody Talks About

Welcome to the 9th episode of the Against The 90s Podcast. This month, we delve once again into the "lost" albums of the 90s. We each picked three more albums that never got their due, are rarely part of the discussion of the decade's music, and have, in many ways, been forgotten. But we remember!

This month, we are discussing:

The Judybats - "Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow"

Supernova - "Ages 3 & Up"

Chocolate Genius - "Black Music"

Skunk - "Laid"

Jennifer Trynin - "Cockamamie"

KARP - "Self Titled LP"

Leave your suggestions for other "lost" 90s albums in the comments!!

Interview with Rikki Rockett of POISON // 40 Years of Look What The Cat Dragged In

For our newest episode, we have a special one! We have an interview with the legendary drummer of POISON, Rikki Rockett. Erika was able to interview Rikki as the band was celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of Poison's debut album, Look What The Cat Dragged In.

Rikki and Erika reminisce about the glory days of MTV, Poison's domination of the Sunset Strip, and how it feels looking back 40 years on this iconic album. In addition to sharing some behind the scenes stories from Poison's early days, Rikki also shares his plans for Rockett Mafia -- his newest band.

Rikki has just released his autobiography, Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison.

FAILURE + SWERVEDRIVER LIVE 2019 //Dark Stuff Rewind #1

Starting a new series called "Dark Stuff Rewind." I'm digging through my archives and pulling out stuff that you may have missed. It was probably in a really long video with a bunch of unrelated stuff (I used to do that). But now, I have pulled out only the best parts!

For the first rewind, we're revisiting a 2019 concert from 90s alternative bands, Swervedriver and Failure. Both played together at the Bourbon Theater in Lincoln, Nebraska, April 11, 2019.

NOTE: My "rant" at the beginning was about how my money was stolen by Pledge Music. It was related to a Swervedriver album, so that is why I mentioned it.

Don't Mind Me, Just a Little Late Night Ramble //Personal Vlog No. 1

Hello. Just felt like coming on camera and shooting the sh!t. Hopefully, will be doing more of these in the future. Recorded late at night on 10/1/26.

Deer Tick: Coin-O-Matic Review + LIVE in Concert // Presley Haile

 

Thanks for checking out the new video! Today, I'm reviewing both the new album from Deer Tick, Coin-O-Matic, and the band's recent concert at Waiting Room in Omaha. This wasn't my first time seeing these guys, but it had been a while. 

Providence, Rhode Island's finest have recently released their 9th album, Coin-O-Matic, on ATO Records. It's the band's 9th album, and first self-produced record.

Opening for Deer Tick was Presley Haile, an upcoming folk/country singer from Texas. She has a new EP being released on Sony in October.

The Most Unforgettable '80s Metal Shows We Ever Saw // Rock of Aging Ep. 30

What made '80s metal concerts truly unforgettable? In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika look back at six memorable heavy metal and hair metal shows from the 1980s that still stick with them nearly 40 years later.

From ticket outlet lines and cash-only merch tables to parking lot hangs and wild arena moments, we dive into the nostalgia, energy, and chaos of attending live rock shows before cell phones and digital tickets took over. Plus, Dave delivers a "Not-So-Deep Dive" into Dinosaur Jr. and why metal fans love J Mascis's guitar shredding, followed by Erika's concert "Atmosphere Check."

In This Episode:

Dave's Not-So-Deep Dive: Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis, and the metal crossover appeal

Erika's Atmosphere Check: What made going to shows in the '80s a whole different experience

The Top 6 Concerts: Dave and Erika's most vivid and unforgettable '80s metal memories

Did Grunge REALLY Kill Hair Metal? The Great 90s Rock Debate // Against The 90s Ep. 8 (VIDEO)

 Did Nirvana and the grunge revolution really kill hair metal, or was the genre already on its way out?

On this episode of Against The 90s, Dave and MarQ welcome special guest Erika from Rock of Aging to tackle one of rock music’s most enduring debates: Did grunge kill hair metal?

The conventional story is that Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains arrived in the early '90s and suddenly made bands like Mötley Crüe, Poison, Warrant, and Ratt irrelevant. But was it really that simple?

We dig into the changing musical landscape of the early 1990s, including MTV's shifting priorities, record label decisions, oversaturation in the hair metal scene, and the rise of alternative rock. We also examine something that often gets overlooked in this conversation: the massive popularity of country artists like Garth Brooks and how changing mainstream tastes affected the entire music industry.

With Erika bringing her lifelong love of '80s metal to the discussion, Dave and MarQ challenge the accepted narrative and explore whether grunge was responsible for hair metal's decline or simply arrived at exactly the right moment.

Join the debate in the comments! Do you think grunge killed hair metal, or is that one of the biggest myths in rock history?

Subscribe to Against The 90s for more discussions about the music, artists, albums, and cultural shifts that defined the decade — without the tired narratives or nostalgia goggles.

First Video In My New Studio! // Unsane Live // NEW Playlist // Maximum MN

Thanks so much for checking out my latest video! This is the first video shot in my new "studio" on the upper floor of my house. For the last decade, all of my videos have been recorded in the basement; and I felt it was time for a change. I'll still be using the old space, but I like having options. What do you think?

Going along with my new space, I am bringing back my Dark Stuff playlists.

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/dark-stuff-the-return/pl.u-mJy8yeECLMpg7

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1DXvCcBFyfBFcpYfK2NFIv?si=YIjXrlxaRlKTXxlbL_Y2lw&utm_source=copy-link&pi=cLq6W-t7Szmr7

After brief update on my stray cats, I have a review of a recent show from 90s noise rockers, UNSANE. Also on the bill were Season To Risk and Violenteer.

If you're looking for a way to get some cool, new music and support a good cause, then check out the digital mixtape, Maximum MN. It's a new compilation featuring current Sub Pop recording artists covering music from artists from Minnesota. Money raised from the compilation will be sent to The International Institute of Minnesota, a non-profit organization that supports refugees and immigrants.

Lastly, I want to strongly recommend a new podcast I just recently discovered to anyone who is a fan of The Ramones. It is called ‪@CJSaysPodcast‬ and it features C.J. Ramone, who played bass and wrote songs in the Ramones from 1989-1997. His insights into the band are extremely interesting, and they have been doing deep dives into the records, as well. It's great.

Please like and share this video. Subscribe to The Dark Stuff if you haven't already.

UNSANE Live at Reverb Lounge, Omaha, NE 9/10/26

 

SEASON TO RISK live at Reverb Lounge, Omaha, NE 9/10/26

Steve Tulipana of Season To Risk 9/10/26 at Reverb, Omaha, NE

 

Rock of Aging's 80s Metal / Hard Rock Fantasy Football Draft

Football season has begun! Your friends here at Rock of Aging have come up with a great way to merge your love of 80s metal with your love of football. Today's episode is the first ever Rock of Aging Fantasy Football Draft!

Here's how it works...To be eligible for the draft, you must have had a studio album released in 1987. Erika and Dave each picked a drummer, bassist, singer, and two guitarists!

Who had the better team? Erika or Dave? Who would be on your team? Leave it all in the comments.

Just before the draft, we have Dave's (Not So) Deep Dive. For this episode, Dave reviews the newest release from KISS, Destroys Anaheim '76. In The Atmosphere Check,  Erika reveals her love of football, and what it takes to make her team in this year's draft.

NOTE: We post a new episode of Rock of Aging on the 10th and 25th of every month!